Increasing Women’s Representation in Congress: A Summary of Vox’s Meaningful Guide

“Women’s lives improve when government is more inclusive.”

— Li Zhou, Vox

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, America currently ranks 76th out of 193 countries in women’s representation, a ranking that is lower than two decades ago. And while other countries have improved in regards to gender equality, the United States seems to have arrived at a standstill. Today, one of the government’s most visible gaps in terms of gender representation is in Congress, despite more women being elected into office in 2018 than ever before.

In a Vox article titled How to Close the Massive Gender Gap in Congress, author Li Zhou expressed that “While women had a record year in the 2018 midterm elections, bringing their total numbers in Congress to 127, much of the data is still grim. For every woman across both chambers, there are roughly three men. And the split along party lines is even starker. Thirty-eight percent of Democratic lawmakers are currently women, while just 8 percent of Republicans are.” 

Last month, She Should Run, an organization designed to encourage more women to run for office, also supported Vox’s claim that still just 23.7% of U.S. Congress members are women. Zhou stated in her piece, however, that this does not have to be our reality. In fact, she mentioned that “A more representative government, as research has repeatedly shown, has real effects on improving the lives of women.” 

As a result, Vox offered three meaningful ways more women can be represented in Congress...

  1. Use a Quota System — Legally requiring women representatives in government has shown to work in improving gender parity, especially in countries like Tanzania and Rwanda where “...anywhere from 20% to 50% of representatives in the country’s federal legislature are legally required to be women.” 

  2. Increase Public Financing for Campaigns — Allowing a diverse range of voters to contribute to a campaign has shown to increase women representation in Arizona, Minnesota and Maine state legislatures.

  3. Change the Way We Vote — Ranked-choice voting can help voters learn more about the candidates they vote for, which Vote Run Lead founder, Erin Vilardi, says helps increase both women representatives and people of color into election pools.

To read more about increasing women’s representation in Congress, see Li Zhou’s article, How to Close the Massive Gender Gap in Congress.



Jenna Gail Julian